


a thousand words left unsaid

by narcissacronin



Category: Renegades - Marissa Meyer
Genre: F/F, title is from monster by dodie :)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:15:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25121494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/narcissacronin/pseuds/narcissacronin
Summary: the gala but make it nobell
Relationships: Nova Artino | Nightmare/Danna Bell | Monarch
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	a thousand words left unsaid

By the time Nova arrived at the gala, she was nearly an hour late.

She felt awkward and out of place when she stepped into the large room, though she did her best to keep her chin held high. Danna was the first to spot Nova and walked over to where she was standing.

Nova skimmed her eye’s over Danna, taking in her appearance. Danna wore a light grey dress which reached a little below mid-thigh and had butterflies embroidered in gold thread on the bodice.

“I was beginning to think you were standing me up,” Danna said, a teasing glint in her eyes. “But I’m glad you’re here now.”

“Sorry for that,” Nova said. “I lost track of time and didn’t even realize how late it was until I got here.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like you’ve missed much anyway.” A slight smile tugged at the corner of Danna’s lips. “By the way, you look really nice.”

A blush stained Nova’s cheeks, the smallest of smiles spreading on her lips. “You too.”

“Here,” began Danna, tilting her head towards where the tables were set up, “I’ll show you where we’re sitting.”

Nova followed Danna to the table where their team, as well as Adrian’s dads, Oscar’s mom, and Ruby’s family. Once introductions were out of the way, Nova and Danna fell into conversation together.

With each passing minute, Nova’s anxieties from hours previous slowly started to fade. Ace’s words about earning Adrian’s affection started to quiet, too, and she was able to ignore them. Her feelings for Adrian weren’t any deeper than that of a friend, though she knew she would never be able to explain that to Ace.

“Hey,” Danna said, lightly nudging Nova’s shoulder with her own, “is something wrong? You seem...distracted, almost.”

“No, I’m fine,” replied Nova, shaking her head. “Do you mind if I slip away for a few minutes? I think I just need some fresh air.”

Danna nodded. “Go ahead. Actually, is it okay if I come with you?” Something in Danna’s expression shifted, though Nova couldn’t quite place her finger on it. “There’s something I want to talk with you about. Alone.”

A wave of anxiety crashed over Nova as she cycled through the many possibilities. She nodded slowly then stood. Danna followed suit and reached for Nova’s hand. Nova forced herself to meet Danna’s gaze, the smallest of smiles spreading on her lips.

They slipped out one of the side exits, and the sound of music and talking replaced with the bustle of the city. Nova took in a deep breath, letting the cool night air fill her lungs. She leaned against the wall and met Danna’s gaze.

“What was it you wanted to talk about?” Nova asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Between the moonlight and the light streaming out from the windows, there was just enough light for Nova to make out Danna’s face.

Danna’s gaze briefly turned towards the moon as she slipped her hands into the pockets of her dress. She took in a slow breath.

“I know, Nova,” Danna said, her voice almost a whisper. Pain briefly flashed across her features. “I _know_.”

Panic started to set in, seeping through every emotion, though Nova did her best to school her expression. “Know what?” she asked, cringing at how fake her tone sounded.

“Don’t,” Danna replied, softly. “Please don’t. You know exactly what I’m talking about, _Nightmare_.”

Nova’s eyes went wide. She opened her mouth to speak, though all words fell flat on her tongue. Her arms fell to her sides and she moved away from the wall, taking the smallest of steps towards Danna.

“I...” began Nova, “I can explain. I swear it’s not as bad as it seems.”

“I wish I could believe you, I really do.” Danna moved closer to Nova, reaching for her hands. “But I’m not sure if I can trust you anymore.” She squeezed Nova’s hands, tears shining in her eyes. “Was any of it even real?”

Nova nodded, quickly blinking away tears of her own. “I may have lied about a lot of things, but my feelings for you were always true.”

Danna pressed her forehead to Nova’s, her eyes slipping shut as a tear fell down her cheek. They stayed like that for a long moment and neither spoke a single word.

Eventually, Danna pulled away and turned her back to Nova.

“I’m not going to turn you in,” Danna said, voice so low Nova almost couldn’t hear it. “I _can’t_ do it, I care about you too much.” She paused for a second before continuing. “But I...I’m not sure that whatever is going on between us will work anymore. I don’t think I could handle it— _knowing_ about who you really are, while...” She cleared her throat. “It just wouldn’t be fair for me or you.”

Nova nodded slowly, unable to find the strength to speak. It felt like her world was shattering around her.

They fell into another bout of silence. Nova attempted to sort out her thoughts, wanting to say something— _anything_ —though she could never come up with the right words. Tears pricked her eyes, though she refused to let them fall in Danna’s presence.

A few more minutes passed before Danna finally turned around and, without so much as a glance in Nova’s direction, slipped back inside.

Nova waited a full ten seconds before finally letting her walls crumble. Brick by brick, she slowly fell apart.

Tears slipped freely down her cheeks.

She fell to her knees, the concrete of the alley-floor digging into her bare skin.

Her shoulders started to shake as her tears turned into silent sobs.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, though no one was around to hear it and her words were lost to the sounds of the busy city street.


End file.
